Elementary Education, Ed.D.

Contact Information

Program Description

The Ed.D. with a major in Elementary Education is designed for teachers in Pre- K through fifth grade who have already completed an M.Ed. with a major in Elementary and Early Childhood Education or a related field and wish to become experts in their field. This program of study provides the skills necessary to synthesize theory and practice through further examination of theoretically based curriculum development, understanding of global education issues, and inquiry into making education equitable, democratic, humane, and socially just. 

Admission Requirements

The following are requirements beyond the general Graduate Admissions  requirements.

• An earned master’s degree in professional education or a related field; 
• A clear and renewable Georgia Teaching Certificate or departmentally-approved equivalent. 
• At least three years of professional teaching or administrative experience or both in P-12 education (current full-time employment as a professional educator is preferred);  
• A competitive Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score and Graduate GPA. The GPA and GRE will be utilized with other admission criteria to determine program eligibility. Although no minimum scores are required, candidates are encouraged to prepare and score well since admission to the program is competitive. Please note: The Analytical/Writing score one receives as part of the GRE exam is used competitively in the admission review process. It is strongly encouraged for applicants to do well on this portion of the exam.  

While admission to this program may occur after the M.Ed. is completed, it may also occur after the completion of the Ed.S. The Ed.S. with a major in Elementary Education is fully embedded in the Ed.D. program. Those students who complete the Ed.S. with a major in Elementary Education at Kennesaw State may apply their entire program of study to the Ed.D.  

Admission Criteria for Unique Cases

Currently there are no exceptions to the admissions requirements.

Transfer Credit

Candidates may apply to transfer up to 21 hours from an Ed.S. degree earned at an accredited institution within the last five years. The actual number of transfer credit hours granted depends on several factors including how closely the courses you took match the courses in our Ed.D. program, when you took the course, and the grade you received.

Petition to Graduate

Each candidate must petition to graduate online. For more information, please view the corresponding section of Academic Policies .

Program of Study